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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22624675">Strain To See Some Fortune In Tomorrow</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyRook575/pseuds/SkyRook575'>SkyRook575</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>RWBY</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Feels, Fix-It, Heavy Angst, Hopeful Ending, I love crwby, I'm Sorry, Lucky Charms, M/M, OOC, Pain, Qrow Branwen Needs a Hug, Torture, WINGING IT, but fuck that one scene, fair game, first fic, kind of, writing on pain meds</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-02-09</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-02-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 08:54:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>18,975</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22624675</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyRook575/pseuds/SkyRook575</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Qrow doesn't team up with Tyrian, which costs him the battle. Ironwood is out for revenge and he knows just who to enact it on.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Qrow Branwen/Clover Ebi</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>50</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>260</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Okay, so this is my first ever writing that isn't an analytical essay or a research paper. I got my wisdom teeth out yesterday, and the pain meds put me right to sleep, and basically dreamed the plot to this fic. I couldn't not write it, so here we are. Feel free to comment, but please be gentle with me, I am fragile after volume 7.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Jumping from the ship had been a sound tactical decision for Clover. A chance that he’s taken time and time again, his luck always pulling through for him. He had hoped when the ship went down it would incapacitate all those inside, but as he got to his feet after a smooth landing, he caught sight of billowing red cape and the incredibly beautiful face it belonged to. He sighed as he realized, even he wasn’t that lucky. </p><p>Qrow seemed a bit disoriented, but otherwise unharmed, swaying only slightly as he caught sight of Robyn lying unconscious by the plane and ran over to check on her, his shoulders sagging with relief when he found her breathing. Clover really didn’t want to fight Qrow, he was his friend. Maybe even something more. But General Ironwood had made his orders clear, and he had never lead Clover astray before. So, with a heavy heart he called out, “Robyn needs help. Surrender, and we can take her to Atlas, get her patched up.”</p><p>Clover knew he had a duty, knew what he was doing was right, had to be right. Ironwood has always been able to see the bigger picture, and do what needed to be done. If he was ordering Qrow’s arrest there had to be a reason. That didn’t stop his heart from sinking when Qrow reached down and withdrew Harbinger, transforming it into a scythe. It didn’t stop the hurt in his chest when Qrow replied, “Never pegged you for the manipulative type, but I’ve learned a lot of things tonight.”</p><p>Clover’s heart lurched, part of him wanting to beg Qrow not to make him do this, and part of him wanting to lash out and hurt the man just as much as he was hurting Clover. At war with himself, he settled on the truth, “I enjoyed working with you, you know. Even with that endless cynicism of yours.” He hoped Qrow would recall all the time they had spent together in these last few months and come to his senses, but he was only met with more disappointment when Qrow replied, “I’m usually proven right.” </p><p>“We don’t have to fight, friend.” Clover really didn’t want to do this. Why was Qrow forcing his hand? Why couldn’t he just follow orders? </p><p>“You don’t know my friends” Qrow softened, sadness radiating off of him. “That’s how it always goes.” Sighing, Clover bent into a fighting stance and charged Qrow, who wasted no time in returning the gesture. The sound of their weapons clashing loud enough to knock any hesitation out of Clover. The two of them were evenly matched, good luck vs bad luck, canceling each other out and leaving only their skills. Back and forth they went, Clover would move to strike, and Qrow would block him almost effortlessly, moving straight into an attack which Clover easily dodged. Months of training together meant they knew each other inside and out. Clover could predict Qrow’s next attack from even the slightest movement, and he was sure that Qrow was doing the same. Harbinger came slashing out at Clover, who forcefully redirected the blade with kingfisher’s pole, Clover dodged to the side, where Qrow had left himself exposed, landing a hit directly in his face. </p><p>Qrow only used the momentum to swing around, bringing harbingers blade quickly toward Clover’s face, who only just managed to get Kingfisher up in time to block the blow. Qrow continued his assault, but Clover had regained his footing and blocked every hit, jumping over the scythe when Qrow attempted to sweep at his feet, but not quite able to avoid Qrow’s foot coming up to kick him in the abdomen. Launched back a few feet, Clover quickly steadied himself, preparing to charge right back into the fight, only to catch sight of Tyrian, fully free of his bindings. “Don’t stop on my account,” he cackled. In front of him, Qrow tensed before spinning on his heel and aiming an attack at the faunas. “Wasn’t planning on it”</p><p>Qrow quickly became so enraptured in the fight against Tyrian that he had seemingly forgotten all about Clover. Lucky him, he could work with this. Clover drew back Kingfisher and threw his line, hooking the handle of Harbinger and giving it a mighty tug. Qrow almost lost hold of the weapon, but managed to keep his grip, bringing the handle up to block Clover’s next attack. Qrow’s face filled with betrayal and Clover felt a tugging at his heart, which he mercilessly crushed. He couldn’t afford this weakness right now. As he charged to attack Qrow again, Tyrian jumped into the fight, keeping up with the two of them until a perfectly timed hit sent Clover flying backwards. Luckily, he landed smoothly, taking a second to get to his feet. </p><p>“You and me have a score to settle” What was he talking about? Had the two of them met before? Clover had thought Qrow’s first introduction to Tyrian had been on election night, same as his. </p><p>“Oh, I agree. So, what’s say we put the kid to bed and then finish it?” Clover glanced at Qrow, face hardening. He wouldn’t… But Qrow said nothing, just began charging forward. Clover knew he couldn’t wait to find out who he was aiming for, he threw his line, hooking Harbingers handle once again, before leaping off of Tyrian’s back and twisting in the air. With all of his strength, Clover tugs the line, feeling it slacken a bit as Harbinger is finally pulled from Qrow’s grip and goes flying across the snow. Cover seizes the opportunity and charges at his former friend, only to be hit by a moment of bad luck, causing him to lose his footing mid step and slip on the icy ground of the tundra sliding passed Qrow, who uses his moment of weakness to wrench Kingfisher out of his hand. </p><p>Clover lands roughly on his knees, before slowly rising to his feet and trying to catch his breathe. “Why couldn’t you just do the right thing? Instead of the thing you were told!” </p><p>“Sometimes the right decision is the hardest to make.” Didn’t Qrow see that? Why didn’t he understand, if the general didn’t make a sacrifice, they might lose everything! He’s just trying to protect as many people as he can, not just in Atlas, but in all of Remnant. “I trust James with my life! I wanted to trust you- “<br/>
“And I did trust you Clover! I thought you cared about me. Just my luck, huh. I should have known better. There will never be a place for me, I’m better off alone. That way I can’t hurt anyone, and no one can hurt me.” Qrow’s voice cracked on the last word, and it broke Clover’s heart to hear. This isn’t what he wanted. This shouldn’t be happening. It wasn’t fair-</p><p>Something flashed in the corner of his eye. “Qrow, get down!”. Clover is running forward, desperate to stop what he knows is about to happen. Unfortunately, Clover’s warning came seconds to late, and he can see Qrow just barely has time to process his words before there’s a sickening squishing sound and Harbinger becomes visible through the abdomen of its owner. Qrow looks up at him wide-eyed, red meeting teal for just a moment, before Tyrian yanks the sword out of its master, cackling like a madman. </p><p>No. Nonononononono. This can’t be happening. That didn’t happen. Qrow was supposed to be arrested, he wasn’t supposed to be hurt. He wasn’t supposed to be bleeding out in the tundra. “Looks like your boyfriends not going to make it. A pity, he was such a lovely plaything, too.” Tyrian’s sadistic grin fills his vision.<br/>
“What have you done?”</p><p>“Oh, my dear Clover, you’re asking all the wrong questions. It’s not about what I did. It’s about what you let me do. Why, I never would have managed to disarm him without your help.” Nausea overcomes Clover, his stomach twisting painfully. “I didn’t mean... it wasn’t my fault.”</p><p>“Of course not. After all, you were just following orders.” With that, Tyrian took off, dropping Harbinger into the quickly reddening snow by Qrow’s body. Clover rushes over, immediately calling for a med evac and reinforcements. “Hold on Qrow, please. Just hold on. Help is on the way.” But his pleading falls on deaf ears, as Qrow lays their unconscious, every weak heartbeat and shallow breathe potentially his last. Was Qrow always this pale? Were the bags under his eyes always this deep? Oh gods, this is his fault. If Qrow dies here it will be his fault and the last thing that he will ever have seen is Clover attacking him. He’ll die believing he is unworthy of love and that Clover wanted him gone.<br/>
He doesn’t know how long he sits there begging the universe not to take him away. Clover just found him; he can’t lose him. Not now, not so soon. Not when so much is broken between them, when he never got to tell him. He should have told him, and now he might never be able to. </p><p>By the time the medics arrive on scene, Clover’s hands are covered in blood and his eyes wet with tears. He distantly hears the ship land, but can’t find it in him to look away from Qrow’s face. As if Qrow will disappear if he takes his eyes off of him for even a moment. Hands begin to tug at his chest and he realized absently that he’s in the way, they can’t save Qrow if he’s standing there and he shoots away so fast, he thinks he might get whip lash. But he still can’t seem to tear his eyes away from the bloody body of the man he’s grown to love. The man he’s just destroyed. </p><p>A loud, stiff “Captain Ebi” has him breaking out of his trance. A lower ranking officer is standing in front of him, “They’ll take good care of huntsman Branwen, sir. But right now, the general needs you, I’m to escort you back to Atlas.” Clover takes a deep breath, then one last look back at where Qrow is being rushed into an airship, before following the officer into his own. He sits down on the bench and tries to pull himself together, but whenever he closes his eyes all he can see is Qrow’s wide eyes staring in shock as he is stabbed through the gut. And suddenly Clover is crying again. Please, he thinks, please, when all this is over, bring him home to me.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The more I write of this, the more obvious it is that this is just a pain killer dream taking control of my grief and using it against me, but whatever. I'm still gonna finish the story.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>James Ironwood will admit that the day Salem had shown up on his doorstep was the worst day of his life. He was terrified of her, and who wouldn’t be? There was no way to stop her, she couldn’t be killed. The only thing that could possibly save Remnant was to take the Staff of Creation so far out of her grasp she could never reach it. It was the only option. The lives of a few city blocks for the entire world was an easy trade, one it seemed only he was willing to make. The fighting, the lies, this entire war could have been over if he had just been able to enact his plan. </p><p>But team RWBY had stood in his way. Blocking him at every turn. When Salem came for them, those stupid kids had gone up against her and her army of monsters. It had taken them three days to defeat her, and everyday of the battle had cost them lives and billions of lien in damage and all of it was for nothing. This time Ruby had managed to use her eyes to defeat the Grimm. This time Penny had been able to beat back Salem. This time his Ace Operatives had been able to both keep hold of Dr Watts and capture Cinder and her accomplice. But what about next time? What about when she came back for them, as she inevitably would. Salem had all the time in the world, this was just a minor set back for her. Nothing would stop her; she would just keep coming. </p><p>The only way to be sure she would never reach her goal was to raise Atlas, but it was absolutely impossible now. As soon as Salem had been defeated, Ruby and her team had escaped taking the lamp and Penny with them. And without Penny there was no accessing the Staff. </p><p>The only good thing to have come out of this entire situation was the capture of Qrow Branwen. Qrow’s been a thorn in his side for years, him and Ozpin, both of them fools holding James back, stopping him from doing what was necessary. What it took to win. Well, they would no longer be an issue for him. He had personally seen to Ozpin, even if he did feel a twinge of regret for having to dispose of the poor boy he was using. But really, who knows if that was even Oscar anymore, or if Oz had just been playing them this whole time. No, better to have him out of the way. As for Qrow….</p><p>Just then there was a knock on his door. James straightened himself up, “Come in.” </p><p>The door opened to reveal Clover Ebi, looking tired and more worn down than James had ever seen him. “Clover, report.”</p><p>“There’s no word on the fugitives, sir. It’s likely they were heading toward Vacuo, but other than that we’ve been unable to track down any leads.”</p><p>“That’s not good enough. We need to get them back. NOW.” Slamming his fist down on the desk in the same spot he had not a week earlier, Ironwood managed to break the heavy wood in half. Every minute that they spent looking, those kids got farther away. And Salem could reappear at any moment. Atlas was completely powerless to stop her, the entire city falling apart, everyone utterly exhausted. All for some kids to play hero, pretending the people in Mantle were worth the lives of everyone else.<br/>
“We’re doing the best we can, sir. But everyone is exhausted. My team needs rest. We can’t keep going at this rate.” Ironwood forced himself to take a few deep breathes, yelling at Clover would accomplish nothing. Forcing a grin onto his face, Ironwood turned to face the captain. “Of course, I’m sorry. Give your team the rest of the week off, let them rest. We’ll keep attempting to track the fugitives.”</p><p>Clover gave a quick nod, but hesitated in leaving, he began fidgeting with the line of Kingfisher, looking more anxious than James had ever seen. “Sir, what became of huntsman Branwen? Last I saw him, he was on his way to medical with severe injuries.”<br/>
Ironwood did his best to mask his surprise at the question. He had been sure that after their battle, Clover would no longer care about what happened to Qrow. But from one look at his face James could tell he was incredibly worried about the older huntsman. And that simply wouldn’t do. “Qrow disappeared from medical yesterday morning, just after Salem retreated. I believe his nieces came for him. Prior to that, he seemed to be in a somewhat stable condition.”<br/>
Watching Clover’s face fall almost made him pity the man. He looked like he was on the verge of tears over a man as worthless as Qrow Branwen. Really, James was doing him a favor. Better to get this out of the way now, rather than let Qrow ruin him himself.<br/>
“You’re dismissed, Captain.”<br/>
Clover practically turned tail and ran out of his office. James resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Oh well, he had other business to attend to.</p><p>Making his way down to the dungeons, Ironwood carefully entered the cell of the prisoner he was pleasantly surprised to have found. “Neapolitan, is it?”<br/>
The women simply nods her head, keeping her eyes on him at all times, likely sizing him up. “I hear you’re seeking revenge on Ruby Rose. Well, I have a proposition for you, it’s likely not exactly what you had in mind, but I believe you’ll find it satisfactory.”<br/>
The petite girl in front of him cocks her head curiously, as if to say go on.<br/>
“I can’t give you direct revenge on the girl, but I have recently found myself in possession of something she cares about a great deal. A dusty, old Qrow, so to say. I would find your particular talents quite useful in breaking him, and I know for a fact that it would absolutely destroy our dear, young Miss Rose. So, can I count on your support?” If all goes to plan, the second team RWBY is tracked down, their hostage will have those kids back on a plane to Atlas. But until then, Ironwood intends to have his fun. James reaches out a hand, offering it to Neo, who gives a tight smirk before accepting.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Guess who did nothing but disappoint herself today. That's right, me. Not only did I barely study at all today, but I also made this entire chapter way heavier than it needed to be. It's looking more and more likely that the hurt in this story is going to outweigh the comfort. Yikes, sorry.<br/>I promise I will get there. First, though, I'm just going to prolong my suffering and force all of you to suffer with me.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Qrow had no idea how long he had been stuck in this godsforsaken room. He had woken up here, however long ago, handcuffed to a hospital bed with a searing pain in his gut. For what he assumed was a few days, he had no way to know without any windows, the only people who had been into his room had been a small team of doctors and nurses. He had tried asking them where he was and what was going on. But not one of them had spoken to him, choosing to ignore his questions and get their work done as quickly as possible before making a hasty exit.</p><p>That left Qrow with a lot of time to think, which was never a good thing. He ran through the events that had led him here. Getting the call about Salem. The warrant for the arrest of him and his kids. Clover...... Clover siding with Ironwood. Clover fighting him. Clover prioritizing his arrest over that of a mass-murderer. Clover using his fight with Tyrian as a distraction so that he could disarm Qrow.</p><p>Squeezing his eyes shut, Qrow fought back the tears from that last thought. He should have known Clover wouldn’t pick him. He should have known that his orders would come first. Still... he had thought they had something between them. Something he was too scared to put a label on. Before all of this had happened, Qrow had been working up the nerve to ask Clover out. He knew he wasn’t good enough for him, knew that he would only hurt Clover in the end. But the other man had made Qrow feel like maybe his semblance didn’t matter. Maybe he wasn’t completely unlovable. All of that had gone out the window, of course, when Tyrian had stabbed him through with his own weapon. He didn’t remember much after that. Still, Qrow held out a little bit if hope that maybe Clover didn’t want to hurt him. Perhaps he regretted the way things went down between them.</p><p>All Qrow knew is that he had to get out of that room to get his questions answered. Unfortunately, that looked less and less likely with each passing day. As he healed, the doctors stop coming around as much and he was left alone for longer bouts of time. That is, until one fateful morning when James Ironwood had appeared in his cell. He looked absolutely terrible, pale and disheveled, dark bags under his eyes. His arm was wrapped up in a sling, and from what Qrow could see, there wasn’t much skin left on it. Even so, Qrow couldn’t seem to muster up an ounce of sympathy for the general. “James, what’s going on? What happened with Salem? Where are my kids?”</p><p>At that, Ironwood leveled a glare at him, “To you, it’s General.” He snapped, more unhinged than Qrow had ever seen him. “Your nieces managed to drive Salem back, before running off with both the Winter Maiden and the Lamp. They are fugitives of the kingdom of Atlas and will be dealt with accordingly.”</p><p>Had James lost his mind? “You can’t be serious, it sounds to me like they saved your sorry ass. If Salem is gone, then what’s the po-” He was cut off mid word as Ironwood slapped him hard across the face, leaving his face throbbing and jostling the partially healed wound in his stomach.</p><p>“Don’t be a fool, Qrow. Salem will be back. She’ll come back stronger, and those kids have left us open to attack. We might as well just hand her the Staff with how ill-prepared we are to take her on a second time. No. I will drag those kids back here bloody and broken my gods damn self if I have too, but I will be moving Atlas. It’s the only way to keep Salem away, permanently.” Ironwood had a crazed look in his eye, this is a man who has lost everything to fear. He can no longer see any hope for tomorrow, and that made him dangerous. Perhaps as dangerous as Salem herself.</p><p>“You’re absolutely off your rocker, you can’t trade in the lives of billions, leaving the rest of Remnant to fight for itself so that you can live out the rest of your days thinking Salem will never reach you. It might not be in your lifetime, but she will come for the staff, James, she’ll-“ This time Qrow was cut off, not by a hit to the face, but my a hand closing around his neck, cutting off his air supply.</p><p>“Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused me? All these years, you and Oz and Goodwitch dragging me down. Stopping me from doing the right thing.” Qrow was beginning to see black spots, hands straining desperately against his restraints to rise up and pry Ironwoods metal hand from his throat. James stared down at him, and for a terrifying moment, Qrow was sure that he wasn’t going to let go. That this was it. Briefly, his mind turned to Ruby and Yang and he found himself thanking the gods that they had escaped Ironwood, who had become so ruthless in such a short time.</p><p>Just as quickly as the hand had appeared, it was removed and Qrow found himself gulping in oxygen almost involuntarily, choking himself with the force of it and breaking off into coughing fits. Ironwood turned and began pacing the small confides of Qrow’s cell.</p><p>The general sighed forlornly, like he hadn’t moments ago tried to murder an old friend, “As much as I would love to rid myself of you, you’ll be much more useful to me alive. For some unfathomable reason, those children seem to care a great deal about you. You’ll make an excellent bargaining chip once we manage to locate them.” Turning back toward where Qrow was bound to his bed, a cold smile began tugging on his lips. “I had been planning to just leave you down here to rot with some of our more, let’s say rowdy officers. However, there was a certain huntsman who just couldn’t believe his luck when he found out you were down here. He practically begged me to be put in charge of your wellbeing.” Qrow’s face creased with confusion. He knew he wasn’t exactly the most welled liked person out there, and hell, he completely understood why. He was a menace to anyone he was around, a useless, sorry excuse for a huntsman. But he hadn’t thought he had made any enemies while in Atlas, except James, apparently.</p><p>In fact, if you had asked him just a week ago, he would have told you quite the opposite. That he had managed to find himself in possession of a large group of kids whom he absolutely adored, and for some unfathomable reason, seemed to love him just as much. On top of that, he had found himself spending large amounts of his time in the ace ops quarters, sometimes with the whole team, but largely it had just been him and Clover. Playing cards, reading together, having dinner. There had even been a particularly memorable night after a mission, where Clover had been dead on his feet exhausted. Qrow had urged him to go to bed, but Clover had rolled his eyes, insisting that he would much rather spend his free time with Qrow than anywhere else. The older huntsman’s heart had thudded painfully in his chest, a blush rising to the back of his neck.</p><p>Qrow had recommended a movie, and was rewarded for his choice when Clover had fallen asleep on him barely twenty minutes in. He had gotten to hold the younger man for the remainder if the night, but had been struck by a moment of cowardliness and had snuck out just before dawn.</p><p>Ironwood broke him out of his reverie with mocking laughter, “You haven’t figured it out yet? Damn, I knew Clover was a fine huntsman, but I had no idea he was such a good actor.” At his words, Qrow’s heart skipped a beat, his breath hitching painfully. “What are you talking about?”</p><p>The general just grinned harshly at him, “Well, when you turned up in Atlas, I knew I couldn’t afford to have you wondering around with that nasty semblance of yours. You could have jeopardized everything. Luckily for me, I had the perfect solution already at my side. Now, he was fine with teaming up with you on missions, but I got a lot more resistance when I told him he had to spend time with you outside of them. I was in luck again, though. Clover has always been so good at following orders.”</p><p>No. He couldn’t possibly be saying what Qrow thought he was saying. That would mean he spent the last few months falling desperately, head over heels, in love with a man that had been ordered to spend time with him. James was lying, Qrow didn’t believe it. There’s no way what they had was a lie, had all been a cheap trick.</p><p>“Admittedly, the longer you stayed here, the surer I was that Clover wasn’t going to hold out. He would come up to my office and complain about how cynical you were, how exhausting it was to put up with your bad attitude and mood swings. He got a real laugh out of it when you started to flirt with him, he couldn’t believe you actually thought you had a chance with him.” James’ eyes were hard and he looked a bit too gleeful to be delivering this news. Not that it mattered to Qrow. His mind was stuck on one thing. The second the warrant went out for his arrest; Clover had turned on him. Qrow hadn’t been able to understand it. Didn’t know how Clover could throw everything between them away so easily, to the point where it had seemed Clover actually wanted to fight him more than he wanted to fight Tyrian. But if Clover had just been following orders the entire time...</p><p>Gods, he must have been so relieved when the order came in, to finally be able to quit his charade. How many secrets had Qrow told Clover? He had spilled his guts, coming to him with nightmares about the tribe, or Summer. He had explained to him about Raven and had wept about her attempt to kill him. Was Clover just pretending to care that entire time? Had he been secretly mocking him? All those times Clover told him he was more than his semblance, was he having to force the words out, having to bite his tongue and not say what he really thought?</p><p>The Ace Ops had always given Clover looks whenever Qrow was around. He had taken it for reassurance about Clovers feelings for him, but what if they had been trying to hold in laughter about the stupid, worthless old huntsman who actually thought he could have something as good as Clover Ebi.</p><p>Without warning Qrow found himself struggling to hold back tears. He had thought maybe meeting Clover had been an act of the universe in direct defiance of his semblance. But now, he realized with a sickening feeling, that it had been because of his semblance. Some of the worst luck of his life.</p><p>“He was so disappointed when I told him we had to keep you alive. But don’t worry, he plans to make up for all that wasted time he spent on you.” Ironwood turned and headed for the door, calling out a quick, “Captain Ebi will get himself reacquainted with you in the morning.” Before strolling off, leaving Qrow alone with his thoughts.</p><p>———————————————————-</p><p>He was fighting Tyrian again, the dangerous stinger moving in and out of his view, almost too fast to track. Qrow was a little way behind them, face full of determination, about to charge in and interrupt their battle. Something about the thought of Qrow anywhere near Tyrian had Clover’s heart clenching in panic. Something was wrong, he couldn’t let that happen. Desperately, he called out to Qrow trying to make him turn around, trying to make him run away. But Qrow didn’t seem to hear him, he was right beside Tyrian now, but he didn’t even turn to look at him. He wasn’t attacking the Faunus. He was after Clover. There was a sudden weight in Clovers hands and he looked down to find Harbinger, in sword form, pointed directly ahead of him.</p><p>As if someone else had possessed his body, Clover found himself at a loss of control over his own limbs. His arms thrust the sword out, even as he tried desperately to stop himself. But it was no use, he felt it as Harbinger connected with Qrows abdomen, slicing clean through. Qrow looked up at him with heartbreak written all over his face “Why?” He collapsed backwards, Harbinger completely disappearing, giving Clover full view of what he had just done.</p><p>Qrow lay dead in the snow, his eyes blank. Chest absolutely covered in red which was leaking out to paint the snow. Clover could hear Tyrian’s maddening laughter in the distance. Shakily, he looked down at his own hands, finding them covered in the blood of the man he loved.</p><p>Clover bolts upright in bed, breathing harshly, tears threatening to escape throat sore from screaming. In a blind panic he stumbled out from under the covers, tumbling onto the floor. He was distantly aware that it was cold, but all he could see was red. His hands were red.</p><p>A sharp knock at the door has him flinching, grounding him slightly. Right, he was in his quarters. Before Clover could gather the strength to respond, Marrow had already entered his room, kneeling on the ground in front of him. “Clover, can you hear me? I need you to take some deep breathes for me, okay. In. And out. Just like that.”</p><p>Following instructions, Clover forced himself to suck air into his lungs. Finding it got easier the longer he did it. Slowly, he became slightly more aware of his surroundings. He could see the light on in the communal living room, connecting all the ace ops bedrooms. He could hear Elm’s voice. Just quiet enough that he couldn’t make out the words.</p><p>It was then that he became acutely aware that he was sitting on his bedroom floor in nothing but his boxers, Marrow still perched in front of him, eyes filled with concern. “I’m sorry.” He gasped out, feeling both unsettled and embarrassed, “I didn’t mean to wake you all.”</p><p>“Don’t worry about it, Captain. We know the last six months have been hard on you.”</p><p>He was right, of course. But for more reasons than he could possibly know. The last six months had been hell. Ironwood was constantly breathing down his neck, desperate to get his hands on team RWBY. Clover had never seen the man so paranoid. Each passing day, he seemed to get worse. And while Clover still believed Ironwood was doing his best for the people, making the tough choices so they wouldn’t have too, he had been plagued by doubts about his decision on That Night. Abandoning Mantle wasn’t a call Clover was thrilled about, and he was infinitely grateful that team RWBY and co had been able to defeat Salem, saving as many lives as they could, definitely more lives than those the general’s plan would have been able too.</p><p>Clover found himself wishing, with an increasing frequency, that he had teamed up with Qrow on the fateful night. That he had agreed to help the man. Qrow would never have gotten injured, Tyrian would not have escaped, and maybe, just maybe, Clover would be half way around the world right now, curled safely into Qrow’s side, sound asleep instead of wide awake in the middle of the night, for the fourth night in just as many days.</p><p>That line of thinking never got Clover anywhere. None of it mattered. He had chosen to follower orders that night, and in doing so had lost the love of his life and gained an experience that wouldn’t let him rest. Anytime Clover started to relax, started to feel like he could breathe again, the look on Qrow’s face when Clover had attacked him instead of Tyrian would flash in his mind. His surprise, morphing quickly into betrayal. The sadness returning to his eyes that Clover had fought so hard to get rid of.</p><p>The only real relief he had from his nightmarish thoughts was knowing that Qrow had managed to get away. Despite injury and despite warrant, Qrow’s nieces had made sure he was with them before departing Atlas.</p><p>He knew general Ironwood was extremely upset with that development, but when he had informed Clover of the older huntsman escape from medical, Clover hadn’t honestly known what to feel. He was torn between relief that Qrow would not be kept here, a prisoner under the heavy hand of the general, and a deep sadness. Because Qrow was gone. And Clover hadn’t gotten the chance to speak with him. Hadn’t been able to apologize or assure him that he didn’t deserve to be alone. There were so many things that Clover wanted to say.</p><p>Some days, it seemed like the only thing that got him out if bed in the morning was the knowledge that Qrow was out there somewhere. They would meet again and then clover would finally be able to tell him everything he needed to.</p><p>“Do you want to talk about it?” He startled, having forgotten Marrow was here. The boy looked concerned, but also uncomfortable. And while Clover appreciated the offer, they had never been that kind of team.</p><p>“No, but thank you. I think I just need to get some rest.” Clover shot him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. It felt brittle on his face. Marrow nodded, before slowly getting up to leave. He paused at the door, clearly wanting to say something. Whatever it was, he seemed to decide against it, heading into the living room and shutting the door quietly behind him.</p><p>Clover could hear him letting the rest of the team know that he was fine, and Harriett complaining about having been woken up in such a manor again. Clover sighed heavily before picking himself up off the floor. Bypassing his bed, Clover made his way over to his closet, pulling out his uniform. There was no way he would be getting any sleep tonight, so he might as well head to the training rooms and blow off steam.<br/>
———————————————————<br/>
It had been six months, or at least, that’s what they told him. As far as Qrow could tell, Ironwood was no closer in apprehending his kids than he was at the start of this mess, and that was the only thing that kept Qrow going at this point.</p><p>Time seemed to blur together, every day the same and only distinguishable from each other through meal times, and the times he was left alone.</p><p>At the start of all this, Qrow had still been holding on to some hope that Ironwood had been lying to him. So when Clover had appeared in his room the next morning, Qrow had actually felt a bit of relief. “Clover, you have to let me out of here. Ironwood has lost his damn mind.”</p><p>But Clover didn’t move a muscle, just kept staring at him. Those beautiful teal eyes that had previously only seemed to hold joy and wonder for the world were not filled with malice. Lips that Qrow had dreamed about kissing were twisted into an ugly grimace, marring his otherwise flawless face.</p><p>Qrow’s heart sank into his stomach. Ironwood had.... been telling the truth. Clover really wasn’t coming down here to save him. “Why? Why would you do this? Even if you were following orders, why did you have to let things get this far? Was it all just a game? Was this a joke to you the entire time?” Qrow swallowed hard, trying to dislodge the sob in his throat. He coudn’t believe he was so stupid. Couldn’t believe that he fell for it. Of course, no one would want him. Of course, he wasn’t even worth noticing to someone like Clover.</p><p>“Why won’t you answer me? Say something!” Through his tears he saw Clover smirk. He moved forward toward Qrow, still not uttering a word, grabbed him his restraints and forcibly hauled him upright. Qrow lurched forward, his stomach wound flaring from the sudden movement, but Clover payed no mind to his pained hiss and pushed him forward till they had reached the back wall. There, Clover made quick work of chaining Qrow to the wall before moving toward a table that Qrow had not previously been able to see from his bed.</p><p>Picking up a knife, Clover walked casually back toward Qrow. Absentmindedly twirling the weapon in his hand.<br/>
“Please don’t do this, Clover. If I meant anything at all to you, don’t do this.”<br/>
Clover just raised an eyebrow at him before plunging the knife down into the Qrow’s thigh.</p><p>It had continued like that for the next six months. Clover would come in, find new and creative ways if hurting him, and then disappear. Never saying a word to him. The worst part about all of it is that despite the pain he was in, and despite Clover being it’s source, he hadn’t stopped loving the man. </p><p> </p><p>Qrow couldn’t help but remember all their time together as he lay awake at night staring at the ceiling of his cell, in too much pain to move. He would imagine Clover fighting, his perfect body gliding through the air, or his smile, beautiful and directed at Qrow. Usually, these thoughts were followed up with the bitter reality. None if it was real.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I know, I know. I'm so sorry. It feels a little unfair of me to both be rushing the plot of this story along, but also filling it to the brim with pain. Unfortunately for you, this is my first time writing, meaning I just discovered power and it is absolutely going to my head. I appreciate all comments, and if you have CONSTRUCTIVE criticism, please leave. I would love to know how to improve. No guarantees though, because I've decided that I'm not a benevolent ruler.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Things go very wrong. (or very right?)</p>
          </blockquote><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>First of all, I want to say thank you for all the support I've gotten. Y'all have been real sweet and encouraging. I feel much more confident in this story and my ability to deliver it to you. The comments I've gotten on this story have meant the world to me, I'd've never been able to finish this without you.<br/>Second of all, my orgo test was today.... and it did... happen. So as soon as I finish my lab report I will get to work on those next chapters. I'm even thinking I might need to add a few. My original ending was a bit too rushed to get all of the comfort I want to put in it. </p><p>Without further ado, enjoy. And I'm sorry!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Luck was something Clover had in abundance. Luck and skill. So, it really shouldn’t have caught him so off guard when a run of the mill reconstruction mission in Mantle had turned into a full-on police chance after Clover had just happened to notice a metallic gleam in the corner of his eye. There was no mistaking it, he had seen that same prosthetic in his dreams, night after night, for the last six and a half months. Clover’s heart had leapt into his throat before a rage like no other had filled his mind, singing through his veins and narrowing his vision.</p><p>Clover took off at full speed, a single thought in his mind, driving him forward. Luckily, Elm had just happened to turn around from where she had been dropping off a dust crate and seen his sudden departure. And, as luck would have it, she had realized right away that this was odd behavior and had followed after him, alerting the other Ace Ops of a developing situation.</p><p>Clover, of course, had not noticed any of this, as he had managed to follow his opponent down the street, through an alley, and up a fire escape onto a roof top. Grabbing for Kingfisher, Clover cast his line, aiming for his adversary’s ankles, but Tyrian was quick, jumping up into the air with a spin, he grabbed the line and yanked, forcing Clover to take a step toward him. Now face to face, connected by Kingfishers line, Clover look into the eyes of the one person he hated, more than anything in this world.</p><p>“Why such a cold welcome, Captain. Don’t you know that’s not how you treat your allies?” Something sharp twisted in Clovers gut, remembering how Tyrian had thanked him for his help on That Day.</p><p>“We are not allies.” Clover replied, thickly. “Tyrians Callows, you are under arrest.”</p><p>That elicited a maddening cackle from the faunus. “My, my, captain. You certainly seem worse for wears. I thought you would be celebrating, after all, Qrow’s death was a team effort.” Clover felt a wave of nausea at the idea of being happy about something as Earth shattering as Qrow’s death. As if it wouldn’t have underly destroyed him, as if he would still be here today to fight Tyrian if what the faunus said about his role in Qrow’s death had been true.</p><p>Clover was saved from the particular line if thought by the arrival of the other Ace Ops. “How rude of you not to invite us to the party, Captain.” Harriet said, getting into a fighting stance.</p><p>Tyrian seemed to know he was in trouble, as that sick grin finally, finally slid off his face. His eyes turned cold and calculating, reminding all of them that his reputation was well earned, before he leaped into action, giving Kingfishers line a tug that knocked Clover forward a second time. Harriet rushed at him immediately, before the others had time to react. But Tyrian had been counting on that. He leaped to the side as she went in for a punch, before grabbing her with the line, twisting it around her torso with one graceful throw. Harriet’s momentum was too great for her to stop and she approached the edge of the building quickly with no choice but to jump to the next rooftop or risk a fall. In an act of misfortune that Qrow would have no doubt blamed himself for, Clover hadn’t quite been able to let go of Kingfishers pole and was yanked along behind Harriet. His semblance kicking back in just in time for him to grab the fire escape rail.</p><p>Back on the rooftop, Tyrian took no pause, jumping at Vine, who was closest. Vine extended his arm, catching Tyrian in his large aura hand like catching a ball with a glove. Tyrian pulled his stinger up ready to strike, so Vine yeeted him at Elm, who was standing with her hammer at the ready. She swung it at him as hard as she could, hitting him square in the chest and launching him at the building were Clover stood untangling Harriet from Kingfisher. Tyrian’s aura flashed purple as he hit the ground in front of them. He paused for a moment, taking in his opponent’s and weighing his chances before abruptly turning to run. Clover started forward, ready to give chase even if it meant leaving Kingfisher behind, before Marrow called out “Stay!” Causing Tyrian to freeze in place. Vine stretched his way over, restraining Tyrian, just as Clover managed to retract his weapon from his teammate. And just as quickly as the battle had begun, it was over.</p><p>“Great work, everyone.” He looked around, checking his team for any injuries, relaxing when he found none. Lifting his hand up to his earpiece Clover called for an immediate transport unit.</p><p>Marrow released Tyrian from his semblance, and Tyrian, knowing he would not be going anywhere, used the one weapon he had left. His words. “Arresting me for the death of your pretty bird? Ha! You should be in handcuffs, as well. His blood is on your hands, after all.”</p><p>Clover had seen right through Tyrian’s thinly veiled attempt to cause a fight, having learned from their previous encounter, and chose to ignore him. The less interaction he had with Tyrian, the better. His more youthful teammate, however, had not come to the same conclusion. “You didn’t kill Qrow, Callows. And Clover certainly didn’t.” Marrow spat, his hands balled into fists at his side, teeth bared.</p><p>The smirk was wiped right off Tyrians face, disappointment taking its place. Something cold and close to panic lodged itself in Clovers chest. At least when Tyrian thought Qrow was dead, Qrow was safe from the killer. Now though, he knew Qrow was still out there. Vulnerable to attack. Clover didn’t even know where he was. There was no way to warn him. No way to stop Tyrian from taking Harbinger, from pushing it through Qrow’s body, taking his life....</p><p>No. Clover would stop that from happening. Tyrian was going into a cell in the dungeon, and he would never see the light of day again. He would never be anywhere near Qrow again. Clover might not be able to take back what he had done on that day, but he sure as hell could stop it from happening ever again.</p><p>When the evac arrived, Clover sagged in relief, eager to get away from the murderer. Everyone piled inside, dragging Tyrian with them. The ride back to Atlas mostly silent, everyone tense and on high alert, just in case he got free. It reminded Clover too much of another time, a time when Tyrian hadn’t been watched so closely.</p><p>When the ship landed in Atlas, Clover all but bolted from its confines. He was anxious to finish his mission report and crawl into bed for the next week. This entire experience has drained what little energy Clover managed to pull together these days. But just when he needed his semblance to get him where he longed to be, it failed him entirely. Winter Schnee was waiting in the hangar, her back perfectly straight, not a hair out of place. She was eyeing Tyrian with a cold disinterest, as if he wasn’t the biggest remaining threat to Atlas since Salem’s attack.</p><p>“The Ace Operatives are to follow me to debriefing, with the exception of you, Captain Ebi. You are to escort Callows to the dungeons, as you have the most experience dealing with him.” Clover groaned internally. He wasn’t sure he could handle that walk, almost positive that if Qrow’s name was to be defiled on that murderer’s tongue one more time, he would beat the faunus into the ground.</p><p>Externally, though, he exuded charm, as always. “Yes, ma’am.” He offered a little salute before grabbing Tyrian’s cuffs and pulling him along toward the dungeon. He had turned too quickly to notice the way Winter was staring at him, like she was hoping for something.</p><p>The dungeons were a long walk from the hangar, a walk that was, thankfully, quiet. It seemed Tyrian was too busy pouting over the fact that Qrow was still alive. How anyone could be upset about that was beyond Clover. Getting Tyrian’s paperwork in order would be the real pain of this experience, Clover almost groaned as they reached the spiraling staircase that would lead them down to the hall of cells. Whoever had designed it was clearly going for an evil lair vibe, which suited Clover fine. He hoped Tyrian rotted away in it for the rest of his miserable life.</p><p>Once they hit the cells, clover immediately began searching for the first free lockup, wanting to rid himself of Tyrian quickly. He couldn’t believe how unlucky he was with this assignment. He was captain of the Ace Ops. Surely, he was too highly ranked to be in charge of a prison escort, even if it was to someone as dangerous as Tyrian.</p><p>Turning a corner, he came across some of their more recent captures. Dr Watts was seated in the first unit. When he caught sight of Tyrian, he frowned deeply, but said nothing. Next was Cinder Fall. Where Watts had been free to roam around his small cell, Cinder had been left in a set of metal cuffs that completely covered her hands, chained to the ground in the center of the room. When she caught sight of them, she began screaming, fire shooting out of her mouth. As soon as her powers were activated, a glass panel slid down over the small window in her cell door and gas began filling the room. She was unconscious almost instantly, her body hitting the ground with a heavy thud. The sight brought that sick smile back to Tyrians face, and Clover shoved him forward. </p><p>The next cell had no name marker by the door, but was still locked tight. Confused, Clover peaked into the little window. There, on the far end of the cell, apparently shackled to the wall, was a man, his face hidden in the shadows. Squinting, he took a step forward, just as the man’s head moved into the light. Clover’s heart skipped a beat, his mind not processing what he was seeing. That was Qrow. But… but Qrow was in Vacuo. James told him so himself. That didn’t make sense. How could he be here? Did the general know? There’s no way, he wouldn’t have told Clover. Shakily, Clover turned around and wrestled Tyrian into the cell across the hall, making sure the door was locked before rushing into Qrow’s. Once inside he had a better look at the state Qrow was in. There was a long scar running from his collarbone to right above his hip. Just looking at it made Clover lightheaded, the image of Harbinger protruding from that same spot flashing across his mind. </p><p>But That Day had been half a year ago, and the scar was entirely healed. What worried Clover more was the fresh wounds littered across the man’s body, in varies stages of healing. His left knee, which Clover had managed to place his hand on in the back of a supply van, looked to have been dislocated, there were little round burn marks up and down his right leg. A knife had been left in his right shoulder, and three of the fingers on his left hand, the hand Clover had wanted to hold, looked like they had been broken, and were trying to heal. Qrow’s body was one big bruise. Lips Clover had dreamed about kissing, split and bloodied. It looked like his aura was healing what it could, but there was just so much damage. Clover wanted to cry just at the sight of him. His Qrow. He looked completely broken. Please, please, don’t let him be broken.</p><p>“Qrow! Oh gods, I’m going to get you out of here.” He was supposed to be half way around the world right now with his nieces. He was supposed to be safe. At the sound of his voice, Qrow’s head shot up, but where Clover was expecting to see some kind of relief, he only saw… fear.</p><p>“Oh, so you’re finally speaking.” His voice sounded hoarse, whether it was from screaming or dehydration, Clover couldn’t tell you, but neither thought sat well with him. “Tell James this trick won’t work. He should have tried using someone who doesn’t hate me.” Qrow couldn’t actually think Clover hated him. He knew he shouldn’t have followed orders That Day, and he regretted it more than anything. Qrow must know that he didn’t want to fight him, could never possibly wish him any kind of pain, yet alone this. He took a step forward, wanting to comfort the other huntsman, wanting to take away all of his hurting, wanting more than anything to fix whatever it was that had broken between them. But Qrow flinched back, hard, his eyes filling with terror at Clover being this close to him. Clover had never seen Qrow this afraid. Not of anything, but somehow, he was this scared of Clover. Did Qrow blame Clover for what happened to him? </p><p>Of course, he did. It was Clover’s fault after all. If not for him, Qrow would have been in possession of his weapon when Tyrian had attacked. If not for him, Qrow wouldn’t have been distracted. If not for him, Qrow wouldn’t be here in this cell, where someone was so obviously hurting him. Clover couldn’t stop his eyes from watering, nor the broken whimper that managed to escape his lips. This was all his fault. “Qrow, please, I-“</p><p>Just then Tyrian’s laughter filled the room, cutting Clover off and startling both men. Clover had forgotten about him. Qrow seemed like he couldn’t quite decide who was a bigger threat to his wellbeing, his beautiful red eyes shifting back and forth between the two before finally settling on Clover. That was a sucker punch to Clover, knocking the air out of his lungs, his chest constricting painfully. Qrow had decided he was more of a risk to his health than Tyrian. </p><p>“Now, this is interesting. When you told me he wasn’t dead, captain, I admit I was disappointed. Oh, but this is so much better.” Clapping his hands in delight, Tyrian leaned back, bouncing on the balls of his feet. His yellow eyes were bright, and seemed to glow from the light in the hall that separated them. “To think, I thought the two of you were an item. My, my, how wrong I was.” Qrow flinched again at his words, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Tyrian, who tracked his every move like a hunter tracked its prey. Clover didn’t like that look at all and wanted to wipe it off his face. Permanently. </p><p>“From the looks of it, our little birdie thought the same. Oh, how tragic! You really believed that he loved you. Even with all the mistakes you’ve made, you thought he would pick you. That you were deserving of any kind of love. You should have known better.” Qrow sagged down in his chains, whatever fight he had in him visibly leaving his body. Clover could see tears welling up in his eyes. </p><p>“Qrow, you have to know that isn’t true. Of course, you deserve love. You deserve it more than anyone I’ve ever met-” Clover choked on his words, trying not to break down here and now. It wouldn’t do either of them any good.</p><p>Unfortunately for him, Tyrian was just getting started. He opened his mouth to continue to hurl insults at Qrow, who seemed to just accept everything he said as if it was fact. This had to stop. He couldn’t help Qrow with Tyrian here, and he was sure the older huntsman wouldn’t want Tyrian to see him at his lowest anyway. Making up his mind, Clover moved for the door, unlocking it. “I will be right back, Qrow. I promise. I’m not going to leave you here.” Qrow didn’t say anything, just staring at him with a sort of sad suspicion that broke Clover’s heart.</p><p>Clover moved across the hall, unlocking Tyrian’s cell and grabbing him roughly. The murder just kept laughing, it was sickening. Clover forcefully pushed him forward, down the hall and around the corner, wanting to get him as far away from Qrow’s cell as possible. Finally, Clover came to the very last cell, opening it and shoving Tyrian inside. “What is it, captain? Something I said?” He grinned wickedly. “How lucky for you, to have gotten away from our battle, not a hair out of place, while Qrow rots away in a cell, bloody and bruised.”  Rage overcame Clover, and before he even had time to register what he was doing, he had followed Tyrian into the cell, punching him full in the face. </p><p>Tyrian fell to the ground, landing roughly on his bound hands. There was a sickening crunch, and then Tyrian was moaning, disgustingly, almost as if a broken arm was the most pleasant feeling in the world. It turned Clovers stomach. He left Tyrian in that cell, pointedly ignoring how hard the killer was. How dare he get off on this. How dare he find so much pleasure in the anguish of one of the strongest men Clover had ever met. He didn’t have time to give Tyrian the beating he deserved. Didn’t have time for anything at all, except Qrow who was suffering in that cell thinking Clover hated him. </p><p>Running up the hall, Clover bounded around the corner, before catching sight of something that made him stop short for the second time that day. All the stress of the last six months must finally be catching up with him, because he thought he had just seen… himself? A man had definitely just ducked into Qrow’s cell, but he had looked so similar to Clover…</p><p>Shaking his head, he made his way toward the cell, much more cautious this time, not knowing what lie in store for him. Clover crouched in front of Qrow’s cell door and slowly, carefully, brought his head up to where he could see into the window of the door. And standing there, just inside the cell and blocking everything else from view, was Clover Ebi. He was staring at himself. Or, at least, the back of himself. </p><p>“I knew it.” Qrow’s voice calls out, sounding more put together than before, but also hollower. “Everything about you is a lie. A beautiful, beautiful lie. You never loved me.” He sounded too sad. Clover was not about to let this happen. He stood up, planning to barge in their and give this imposter a piece of his mind. To show Qrow that what they had wasn’t a lie, the only lie was the pretender who had been slowly making Qrow believe that he was unloved, unlovable.</p><p>That’s when he heard another voice ring out, loud and clear and powerful enough to make Clover’s entire body freeze in a way the cold of Atlas never had, his heart stopping, his blood turning to ice in his veins. “He doesn’t care about you, Qrow. No one does.” He knew that voice. That voice had told him that Qrow had been stolen away in the dark of the night just after Salem’s attack. That voice had assured him, again and again, that what they were doing was right, for the sake of all of the people of Remnant, not just Atlas. That was a voice he trusted. A voice that had betrayed him. General Ironwood had known. He had known all along that Qrow was not safe in Vacuo, a free man. He had known that Qrow had been sitting in the dungeons, being tortured day in and day out by, gods, by someone wearing Clover’s face. Oh gods. With growing horror, Clover realized that this couldn’t be happening without Ironwoods approval. Not only had he known this was happening, but he had most likely ordered it to happen. </p><p>All the while seeing Clover’s worry, and dismissing it with promises of the other man’s safety. All that time he had known that Clover was grieving the loss of a man he loved, a man he thought he might never see again. On one very awkward occasion, he had even comforted Clover, telling him that once they had apprehended Qrow, Clover would finally be able to explain. But he had known even as he said it that Qrow was, in fact, twenty stories below them, being convinced that Clover wanted nothing more than him dead in the ground, or as close to that as he could get. </p><p>This whole scheme was too well organized, it ran too deep. There was no way Clover could just go in their and rescue Qrow. Not now that he knew who was behind this whole mess. He needed to come up with a plan. But that meant leaving Qrow here, with Ironwood and the phony. It’s not that he thought Qrow couldn’t handle it, he was strong. But he was also so hurt already. So damaged, and in so much pain. Physically and emotionally. He couldn’t. He couldn’t just leave him here. His chest heaved, breathe beginning to come too fast and too slow and too much, but not at all. He had to get out of here, if he was discovered in the hall in this state, he would be no good to Qrow. Clover forced his feet forward, trying to be silent, but only really being aware of the sound of his heartbeat in his ears. Feeling like the world was tilted, Clover stumbled up the spiral staircase. Somehow finding himself in the men’s restroom with absolutely no clue how he got there. </p><p>It took him thirty minutes, sitting on that bathroom floor, to pull himself together enough to think straight. Heaving his tired body off the floor, Clover moved to head back to his quarters, full of determination. He had wasted enough time. And every minute he spent getting his act together was another minute Qrow was stuck down there, completely unaware of his own situation. He had planning to do.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Okay, so I actually read this before posting it. Hopefully there are no mistakes. And definitely no directs notes in the middle of the story. Yikes, no one told me! I went to reread the last chapter and discovered that little gem and just about died of embarrassment.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright guys, here's the relatively short next chapter. I did have to write this entire thing on my phone, meaning it's a bit of a mess. I'm going to get to work on the next chapter right away, but it may take a while. I've got a lot of ground to cover.<br/>Happy reading!</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The next day, Clover calls in sick. In truth, he had been up all night coming up with a plan to get Qrow out as quickly and as quietly as possible. Occasionally, he would begin to doze off, before nightmares assaulted him, jolting him awake and urging him with an increasing insistence to focus on his goal.</p><p>It was almost laughably easy to convince his team that he had come down with something overnight, considering the bags under his eyes and the sickness in his soul that he was sure leaked out into his typically perfect posture. Elm had basically dragged him out into the common room to check him out, making sure he had everything he needed, while Vine made him tea. Clover had been touched by the display of affection, so rare between his teammates. Not that it mattered. He would be leaving today. And if he ever saw them again, it would likely be as enemies on a battlefield.</p><p>The thought of having to fight them left an ache in his chest, but this was not a new feeling, and he had someone worth the world counting on him. So, with as much of a smile as he could manage, he had assured them out the door to their morning briefing, his face falling the second the door swung shut. With a heavy sigh Clover picked himself up off the coach and made his way back to his room.</p><p>Pulling out a duffel bag, Clover glanced around the small, standard issue bedroom, eyes landing on the few knick-knacks he had acquired throughout his years in the military. On his nightstand sat a book about an unlucky fisherman who had been just about to give up before a fish had leaped into his boat. It had been a birthday gift from Marrow last year. Beside it stood a picture of him and his dad, which had been taken the day Clover got into Atlas academy. His dad had been so proud of him, going on and on, to anyone who would listen, about how his son was going up to Atlas, to study in the city in the sky. The old fisherman had fallen sick just two short years after it was taken, leaving Clover alone, the military the only thing he had left in the world.</p><p>There was a pot of bamboo in the corner, something Vine assured him was not only associated with luck, but would bring him “Zen.” Clover hoped that someone would take care if it after he was gone. His desk was piled high with the files Ironwood had given him all those months ago, on RWBY and Salem and Ozpin and the relics. And on a certain dark-haired huntsman.</p><p>Walking over to the dresser, Clover pulled out a few clean uniforms. He knew after today he would no longer have a right to wear them, but they were the only armored clothing he owned, so they would have to do. When they had safely made it out of Atlas, he would have to find something less conspicuous, but until then he had to pack something. Next, he walked over to the bathroom, making sure to grab any and all essential toiletries, plus the bandages he kept under the sink. He didn’t know what state Qrow would be in today. A lot could change in twenty-four hours. Finally, Clover made his way over to his nightstand, picking up the picture of him and his dad. Clover carefully tucked it in between the neatly stacked uniforms, hoping to protect in the case of his plan going sideways and landing him in a firefight.</p><p>Glancing around his room, something heavy fell over Clover’s heart. This was goodbye. He had spent the last seven years of his life in this room, as part of the Ace Ops. And he was about to throw it all away over a guy. A ridiculously good-looking guy, with a wicked sense of humor, gorgeous red eyes, and a heart more loving than anyone ever gave him credit for. A guy who for some inexplicable reason, thought he could never be loved by anyone, even though he deserved all the love and care in the world.</p><p>The military had indeed been there for Clover when he had nothing. Giving him a place in the world and a purpose to his life. And for a while, that had been enough. But Clover had found something far better than the cold structure of Atlas. He had found love with the man of his dreams, and a chance to make a real difference in the world. A chance he would never miss again. Clover had outgrown Atlas, and as he took in the remains of his previous life, he found that he was glad to be letting it go. The future would be hard, there was no doubt about that, but he had hope that tomorrow would be better than today. And that any tomorrows with the possibility of having Qrow in his life was better than whatever pitiful existence he could have in Atlas.</p><p>Even if Qrow wanted nothing to do with him after this nightmarish experience, at least he would be safe. At this point that was all Clover needed. He might hope for more, but that was all that truly mattered, at the end of the day. Qrow’s safety.</p><p>Clover moved to grab his bag, but he was stopped by a knocking on his door. He had been so lost in thought he hadn’t even noticed anyone enter the shared living space. Jerkily, Clover attempted to hide his bag, but only managed to pick it up before his door was swinging open.</p><p>“Hey, Captain. I... What are you doing?” Marrow was staring, not at him, but at the duffel bag in his arms, face full of confusion.</p><p>“Leave me alone, Marrow. This doesn’t concern you.” Clover put as much authority into that sentence as he could muster, hoping it would scare the kid into not asking any questions. But, in true Ace Ops fashion, Marrow completely ignored him. “Are you going somewhere? I thought you were sick.”</p><p>Clover slowly sat the bag down on his bed. Trying to come up with a valid reason to have lied to his entire team so that he could sneak off that would put Marrow off his trail.</p><p>Apparently, he hesitated just a moment too long. “Tell me what’s going on or.... or.... or I’ll tell Ironwood that you’re faking.” Marrow had started out with confidence, but had seemed to lose it at some point while speaking. But truthfully, it didn’t matter if it was a poor threat. All Ironwood had to do was note his suspicious behavior before his paranoia kicked in. Then Clover wouldn’t get anywhere near Qrow.</p><p>“The General has been keeping Qrow a prison since the battle against Salem. I’m going to break him out.” Marrow stared at him in shock. Trying to process the words. Mouth opening and closing like a fish.</p><p>“I don’t want to fight you, Marrow. But I will if I have to.” Clover said, reaching for Kingfisher and feeling eerily similar to how he felt on That Day when he had betrayed another friend. He prayed that this time he was making the right choice.</p><p>Fortunately, luck was on Clover’s side, as always.</p><p>“Wait! Wait! I’ve been having doubts about the General since the attack. He’s been getting more and more paranoid. Taking out his frustration on the people of Mantle.” Marrow took a deep breath, and Clover was struck, suddenly, by how young he actually was. Marrow could be a little immature at times, but his skill as a fighter had always made Clover forget the huge age difference between the faunus and the rest if the operatives. “I want to help you... If you’ll have me.”</p><p>Pausing for a moment, Clover searched Marrow’s face. The faunus had always been an idealist, seeing the world as how it could be instead of how it was. It was the thing Clover liked best about him. He saw no malicious intent in Marrow’s eyes. He seemed open and honest. Eager to help. Clover relaxed fractionally, allowing the first genuine smile in months to find its way onto his face. “You know this is a one-way trip, right? Ironwood won’t take too kindly to you betraying him.” At the implied acceptance of his offer, Marrow’s tail began wagging back and forth happily.</p><p>“With all do respect, sir, Ironwood betrayed the people a long time ago. His approval means nothing to me. The only reason I’ve stayed on the team this long is because I knew that you would fight for what’s right, when the time came.”</p><p>Clover’s mood soured marginally at his words, “You put too much faith in me, Marrow. Last time it came down to the people or my orders, I made the wrong choice.”</p><p>“Yeah, you did. But you’ve spent the last few months regretting that decision with every fiber of your being. You made a mistake; I have faith that you won’t make another.” Clover almost wanted to hug the other man. He was so grateful to have an alley in all of this that he thought his knees would give out from the relief of it all. But they had already killed enough time.</p><p>Clover spent the next ten minutes filling Marrow in on the full situation with Qrow. How he had come across Qrow in the dungeon yesterday afternoon. How Ironwood had managed to capture Salem’s actual henchmen, but had decided to torture Qrow of all people. How he had somehow made it Clover’s face that Qrow was tormented with. By the end of his story, Marrow looked torn between sadness and anger. His hands balled into fists and his shoulders hung low.</p><p>“I’m going to kill the general.” He proclaimed loudly, beginning to pace the short width of Clover’s bedroom. “I’m going to tear his head off with my own two hands. How dare he? Qrow was his ally! He helped us with our plan for Amity tower for three months, even though he had concerns about it. The fact that Ironwood would resort to torture at all, yet alone on a man he’s been friend with for years, just proves that there’s nothing left of his cold, dead heart.” Pausing mid-stride, Marrow turned to face him. A look of determination shining through his eyes. Clover had never been prouder of the young faunus. “So, what’s the plan?”</p><p>“Alright, this is where it gets tricky. And we need to hurry. We’re going to sneak down to the dungeons and hide out in the cell across from Qrow’s. As of yesterday, there was no one in it. We’ll need to be extra careful to make sure none of the other prisoners see us. We can’t let Cinder or Watts have a chance to alert any guards of what we’re planning.” Clover explained quickly, checking his watch. He had wanted to be down there thirty minutes ago. But it was better to fill Marrow in now, rather than later.</p><p>“Wait, why aren’t we just going in to rescue Qrow? What’s the point of hanging around his cell?” Marrow’s brow was creased with confusion. Clover had been getting that look from him a lot today.</p><p>“We can’t rescue Qrow unless my lookalike is in the room. As much as I hate to say it, Qrow is afraid of me right now. And after I had to leave him yesterday, he’ll assume me being there, acting kindly toward him, is just another trick. There’s no way he’ll trust us. I need Qrow to see me and the impostor at the same time so that he’ll realize it wasn’t me who’s been hurting him all these months. We can work out whatever issues arise from this later, but for now I just need him to be willing to follow us.” The idea of Qrow still being too afraid of him to go anywhere with him crossed his mind, but Clover shoved it away. Qrow was a smart man, and more than that, he was strong. He would be able to recognize the situation for what it was, an attempt at freedom. Anything that came after would just have to be dealt with at the time.</p><p>There was a chance that after everything they’ve been through, what they had was just too broken to fix. And it was very likely that Qrow would never forgive Clover, would laugh in his face when Clover finally got to tell the man how he felt about him. Clover wouldn’t blame him. All of the pain and suffering Qrow’s been through was Clover’s fault, after all. But none of that mattered. Clover had to save him. Despite what Qrow thought of himself, he didn’t deserve to rot away in a cell. He deserved to be happy and feel loved. Even if that couldn’t be with Clover.</p><p>Clover loved him too much to not let him have all the happiness in the world, even if it broke his heart.</p><p>“So we’re going to have to fight off the person who’s been hurting Qrow. As much as I would love to kick their ass, isn’t that going to alert Ironwood?”</p><p>“It can’t. Last night, Ironwood received a promising report that RWBY had been sighted in the Solitas tundra. Luckily for us, Ironwood decided this lead was too good not to inspect himself. By now, he’s hours away from the city and won’t be able to make it back in time even if his copycat can reach him.” Pulling that particular stunt off had been incredibly difficult on such short notice. But Clover found that he was capable of doing almost anything if it meant being reunited with his love. A notion that was alternatively terrifying and thrilling all at once.</p><p>“Lucky for us, huh?” Marrow questioned. His face lighting up with amusement. “Alright, where too after we’ve made our daring rescue?”</p><p>“The hangars. After making sure Ironwood received his message, I snuck down there to reserve a plane. It’s standing at the ready. Before we head down to the dungeons, you need to pack a bag. I’m going to go grab some rations and anything else we might need. We’ll have to drop our supplies off prior to the start of our mission.” Marrow nodded, before turning to make his way to the door. Before he could leave Clover called out, “Hey, Marrow? Thank you.” With a small smile and a nod, Marrow slipped out the door, intending to get his belongings in order.</p><p>Clover grabbed the duffel and slung it around his shoulder. Hold on Qrow, he thought, just hold on.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Okay, so here it is. It's ridiculously long, and I honestly don't know how I got through it. It took so long to write guys, you don't even know. It was physically painful. Enjoy the chapter, and please don't judge me too harshly on the terrible fight scenes. That shit be difficult.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Waiting was hell. Nothing hurt quite like knowing Qrow was just across the hall, not twenty feet away, heartbroken and in pain. And Clover couldn’t get to him. It might as well have been twenty miles instead of twenty feet. Marrow sat just to the right of him, twisting his hands in his lap. The poor kid looked like he was dying to says something to relieve the tension, but was trying desperately to hold it in.</p><p>“If you’re going to say something, just spit it out.” Clover offered a tired, encouraging smile causing Marrow’s tail gave one grateful wag before falling still again. “Have you thought about what you’re going to say to him?”</p><p>Had he thought about it? It’s all he could think about. Reuniting with Qrow. Telling him he was sorry, that he didn’t know what was being done to the other man, that he wished he could take it all back. That he loved him. “The problem isn’t what I’m going to say, Marrow. It’s if Qrow is even willing to listen to me. If, after this whole thing is through, he wants nothing from me, not even an explanation, I think I owe it to him to respect his wishes.”</p><p>Clover hated the thought of it. He wanted Qrow by his side for the rest of his life. But he couldn’t be selfish right now, Qrow needed to come first. He would need to heal, and Clover would let him have that in whatever form it came in.</p><p>Marrow’s face twisted into a fierce frown. Clover could have sworn he saw his left eye twitch, but it might have just been a trick of the light. “Nope. Nuh-uh. No way. I am not about to rescue the guy only for you to let him go. Not that I wouldn’t rescue him anyway, but.... Look, even if he doesn’t want to hear it right away, that doesn’t mean you should just give up. Sure, give him some space if he needs it, but if you never give him any kind of closure, even if he thinks he doesn’t want it, then you’re both going to spend the rest of your lives completely miserable. If you love Qrow half as much as you say you do, you’ll respect him too much to let him suffer needlessly.”</p><p>Clover hated to admit it, but Marrow did have a point. He didn’t want to put Qrow through anything else. Maybe he should just ask him what he needed? Was that worse? To admit that he didn’t know how to help, but that he wanted to. With everything in him, he wanted to. Maybe he didn’t have to say the perfect thing and magically make everything better. If he was really lucky, Qrow would let him prove himself in time. Clover had known all along that things wouldn’t be perfect immediately, it’s just… “It almost seems like it would be easier on both of us if I were to remove myself from the equation. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to go, I just can’t shake the feeling that I’m going to make it worse. Marrow, he’s suffered so much already, and I’m a risk to him. I have the potential to break him into a million pieces, especially now that he’s so hurt and so fragile. And that scares the hell out of me.”</p><p>“I’m glad that your scared. That fear is a good thing. It means you care about him, and it means that your going to do everything in your power to help him. Clover, listen, you aren’t always going to get it right. There will be days when you fuck up, and you’ll think that you’ve ruined everything, and you may even cause a few setbacks. But that’s a risk you have to take. The worst action you can take is inaction. I know you know that. It sucks, but if Qrow didn’t care so much about you, the fact that’s it’s your face they’re using wouldn’t be hurting him nearly this much. So just hold on to that. Even in this nightmare situation, there’s hope.”</p><p>Godsdamn it. When did this kid become a person Clover went to for advice? Clover was supposed to be the one looking out for Marrow, not the other way around. Yet here he was, getting lectured by a kid barely old enough to have his huntsman license. And the worst part about all of it, is that he was right. Clover had been talking himself in circles about how he would need to give Qrow up when this was all over and done with. That wasn’t the only option, it was just the only one Clover had been willing to consider because he hadn’t wanted to get his hopes up. He had wanted to be ready for his heart to break, but in doing so he had lost all faith. </p><p>Clover opened his mouth not sure how to respond, but was mercifully cut off by the sound of footsteps moving down the hall towards them. It was faint, but it was there. The two pressed as close to the wall as they could get, making sure they wouldn’t be seen. At the sound of keys jingling, Clover dared to peak his head up to the window, confirming that it was his doppelganger entering Qrow’s cell. The key slid into the lock, and Clover ducked back down. He couldn’t give himself away just yet. Not when they were so close. When the door swung shut, the pair of huntsmen leaped to their feet, grabbing their weapons and silently sneaking out of their cell. </p><p>Then, Clover finally pulled open the door to Qrow’s cell, setting eyes on the other man for the first time in over twenty-four hours. It felt like a lifetime had passed. Qrow looked a little worse than he had last time he saw him. He was no longer chained to the wall, instead huddled into the back corner, facing the door. It was a miracle he had managed to crawl into that position at all, seeing as his hands were bound together and attached to a ring in the ground which was firmly bolted to the middle of the floor. Fortunately, there didn’t appear to be any weaponry sticking out of him this time around, but his uncovered chest was bloody. However, it didn’t look like the blood was coming from his torso. Clover squinted at Qrow, searching for the source, but didn’t see anything. Had his aura healed the cause of it already? </p><p>In the center of the room, fake Clover stood facing them, having whipped around when the door was pulled open.  Just behind him Marrow shifted, gripping Fetch tighter and sizing up their opponent. But Clover only had eyes for Qrow. He seemed to be stuck in a state of shock, his eyes round as dinner plates. Clover would have laughed at the way his mouth worked open and closed as he tried to make sense of the duplicate that had just barged into the room, if the situation had been a little less dire. </p><p>As it was, though, Clover didn’t have anymore time to waste. His copy pulled a delicate pink umbrella out of thin air, swinging it downward causing a thin blade to be unsheathed. Clover drew Kingfisher, trying to keep in mind how small the cell was so that he didn’t hurt Qrow farther. Casting his line, the fisherman attempted to hook the umbrella, but his look-alike twirled around, opening up the canopy. Clover’s hook bounced uselessly off of it, just as Marrow launched Fetch, but the fake moved impossibly quickly, jumping up onto the wall and running across, they ducked out of the way. Kicking off the wall, they launched them self at Marrow’s legs, swiping his feet out from under him. H landed hard. Fetch came sailing back to where it had been thrown, but the imposter batted it away with their now closed umbrella. It soared through the air and landed on the opposite end of the cell. </p><p>Clover once again cast his line, but his adversary gracefully spun to the side, coming back around and hooking the line with the umbrella handle. The action was likely meant to disarm Clover, but luckily, he had tugged backward at the precise moment the attacker managed to capture his line. The double was pulled toward him, they moved to land a hit on Clover, too swiftly for him to react, but not, as it seems, too swift for Marrow who had gotten back to his feet and immediately leapt for the fake, landing a hit squarely to their stomach. </p><p>The Clover copy shattered like glass, the remains of the illusion raining down on the floor. Standing in its place was a petite woman with pink and brown hair, wearing a bowler hat. There was a soft gasp from the corner Qrow was still seated in, and she paused, chancing a glance at him. How dare she even look his way, after everything she had done. Taking advantage of her moment of distraction, Clover threw his line, twisting it in the air and just barely managing to snag the end of her umbrella before she noticed. Giving it a mighty tug, Clover’s hook sunk deep into the material, tearing a hole in the delicate looking fabric. She looked at him wide-eyed for a split second before they narrowed and… changed colors?! </p><p>Then she was running at him, Clover pulled up the pole of Kingfisher to block her, but she changed courses seconds before impact, pushing off the ground with her umbrella and flipping over his head to where his back was completely exposed. Clover felt the tip of her blade against his spine before… nothing. The pressure disappeared. Twisting around quickly, Clover wasn’t sure what awaited him. What he saw was certainly not anything he had expected. There stood Qrow, hands still chained together, but free from the attachment to the ground. He was clutching Fetch in his hands and standing over the small woman on the floor. </p><p>Red met teal, and Clover tried desperately to convey his feelings in that one glance. But whatever strength had possessed Qrow moments ago deserted him, and he slipped to his knees, Fetch falling out of his hands and clattering to the ground. From this angle, Clover could finally see the source of the blood covering Qrow’s torso. His back was littered with open wounds, slowly oozing blood. His aura had clearly already taken to healing them, but they were still fresh enough to look incredibly painful. Clover’s stomach lurched at the sight of them. He knew what caused wounds like that. He had caused them plenty of times when his line met skin with enough force at a close enough range. Those were gashes from a whip. </p><p>Red filled Clover’s vision, and it wasn’t the pretty red that belonged to the man he loved so much. It was the color of the blood that was pooling on the floor. He reached down and grabbed the slightly dazed girl by the collar before slamming her into a wall. There was blood slipping down one side of her face, but the wound that Qrow had caused was hidden away in her hair. Clover felt no sympathy for her. She had hurt Qrow, and for what? What had been the purpose of all of this? Qrow had no information on the whereabouts of team RWBY. He had no secrets left that hadn’t come to light during Salem’s attack. There was no reason to torture him aside from sheer cruelty. No reason except to inflict pain on a man that was already drowning in it. </p><p>Raising his fist, Clover slammed it down on the woman’s body. Over and over and over. Who did she think she was? What right did she have to hurt someone as important as Qrow? Something snapped in her body, but Clover ignored it. A particularly protective part of him was rearing up, telling him the only way to ensure Qrow’s safety was to remove this woman from the picture. She didn’t make a single sound, and that only angered Clover farther. How many times had she made Qrow scream in the last six months? And yet, here she was. Silent as a mouse. </p><p>Clover would have stayed like that, would likely have beaten the woman to death, if it hadn’t been for Marrow. A hand on his shoulder was all it took to break him out of his daze, and he flinched away harshly. The woman crumpled in a heap in the ground. Distantly he realized that at some point during his beating, her aura had shatter much like her illusion had. He glanced down at his hands and, oh, they were bloody. </p><p>“I’m going to take her to another cell.” Marrow walked over to the woman, lifting her easily, and slinging her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. Clover noticed distantly that he was favoring his left leg. “You should really deal with the other thing.” Marrow whispered, not so subtly nodding at Qrow. </p><p>Right. Qrow needs him. Clover can’t believe he took time to enact revenge when Qrow had been sitting a few feet away, confused and in pain. Kneeling down, Clover reached out to place a hand on Qrow’s shoulder, but the older huntsman jerked away from him as if he’d been burned. Clover wanted to smack himself, of course Qrow was a little jumpy after months of torture. “Easy, easy. I’ve got you. You’re going to be okay.”</p><p>At his voice, Qrow’s eyes snapped up to meet his. Clover gaped at how quickly they filled with tears, before he found his arms full of Qrow. Making sure to watch his back wounds, Clover pulled the other man in close, providing whatever comfort he could give him. Qrow let out a sob, his fists tangling themselves in Clover’s shirt. They sat like that for several moments, both of them just relieved to have each other again. </p><p>“I thought…” Qrow’s breath hitched and he took a forceful lungful of air before continuing, “It wasn’t you… all this time I thought…” once again, Qrow was breaking into a mixture of sobs and forced breathes. </p><p>“I know what they made you think.” Clover’s arms tightened around Qrow’s waist, “Please, Qrow, you have to believe me. I could never hurt you like that. You mean the world to me. When I met you, I was at a point in my life where I was just going through the motions, following orders and never stopping to question if what we were doing was really right. But you, you have some spark inside of you that always makes you think of other people. You’re first thought in every decision you make is always about whether or not it will get people hurt. You would sacrifice your own happiness again and again if it meant keeping people safe. You challenged me to look at things from a different perspective and you inspired me with your humbleness and your blatant honesty. I’ve never seen you back down from an argument, and you are always arguing for the people who couldn’t speak for themselves.” Clover felt his throat tightening up, squeezing his words as he attempted to force them up. </p><p>But he had to say this now, if he didn’t get the words out here, he might not get another chance. He had already wasted six months, and who knew what lay just beyond that cell door. “The night Salem attacked, I was scared. You all acted like she was some sort of undefeatable monster, and I immediately reverted back to that version of me that just blindly followed Ironwood, without giving a single thought to who I could be hurting. Gods, Qrow. I am so sorry. You’ll never know how much I regret that night. I hate that version of myself. That person that I was for so long, the person who hurt you. I don’t want to be that man anymore. You inspire me to be better, and if you’ll have me, I would like to try to be the man you deserve.” Clover placed a tender kiss to Qrow’s temple, before letting out a deep sigh. “But I know that might take time. Just know that, once we get you out of here, I am willing to give you anything that you need to heal. Even if that thing is me leaving.”</p><p>Qrow shifted in his arms, and Clover immediately released him. But where he had thought that he would be pushed away, Qrow surprised him, just like always. The older huntsman brought his hand up to cup Clover’s check, and Clover automatically leaned into his touch. Bringing their foreheads together, Qrow let out a shaky breath. “You idiot.” Okay, well, of all the things he could have said, Clover definitely wasn’t expecting that. “Do you know why it hurt so much that Jimmy had you torturing me? It’s because I am in love with you. Clover, you’ve never been just a tin soldier. You believed in James, and I don’t blame you for that. There was a time I believed in him, too. But even when you were carrying out his orders, you were looking out for the little guy. You only did the things you did because you believed they would help the most amount of people. You put the safety of your teammates before your own, you make sure the people around you know their worth, and you refuse to see anything but the best in people. And not in a hopelessly naive way, either. You’re smart about it. That night you attacked me broke my heart. There’s no way around it. But I’m sure I broke yours, too. We both made bad choices that night. But we’re here now, and, Clover, I’m not going anywhere.”</p><p>Clover sagged against Qrow. It felt like the weight of the world had been lifted off his shoulders. He knew they still had a long way to go, but the two of them were going to be okay. For the first time in six months, Clover was able to breathe without his heart constricting painfully in his chest. “I love you, too. And I missed you so much. Every day without you was hell, and I swear, Qrow, I didn’t know you were here until yesterday. I swear. Please, you have to believe, I didn’t know. I-”</p><p>“Woah, woah. Calm down. I believe you, lucky charm. I’m sorry I doubted you.”</p><p>“Don’t be sorry, it wasn’t your fault. You had no way of knowing better.”  At some point, Clover had started crying again, but Qrow was done crying now. Somehow, in the midst of all of this, Qrow had shed all of his tears. All that mattered now was that they were together. And they were getting out of this hellhole. </p><p>“Not to interrupt… whatever this is. But we’ve got to move.” The two of them startled, pulling apart as Marrow reentered the room and picking up Fetch. Qrow winced slightly as the movement jostled his back, but otherwise made no outward show of pain. He pulled himself up off the floor, took three steps, and then promptly sagged against the wall, deflating like a balloon. Clover made his way over to the other man, cutting the manacles off his wrists and finally freeing him, and trying to offer whatever support he could.</p><p>Once Clover was sure Qrow wouldn’t pass out, he immediately switched into command mode. They still had a lot to do today. “Marrow, you lead. Be careful going around corners, and don’t stop to talk to anyone. Try not to look too tense.”</p><p>“I got it, Clover. I’ve done a lot of riskier things than this. You should know, you were there for most of them.” He gave a smirk, before moving to take his jacket off, revealing the bright red shirt underneath. Next, he pulled the shirt off his back before sliding the jacket back onto his shoulders. “You might need this” He said, offering the remaining garment to Qrow, “Hopefully being not visibly covered in blood will make us a little more inconspicuous. And I’m sure being fully clothes won’t hurt either.”</p><p>“Qrow being fully clothed definitely hurts.” Clover threw in with a wink. Nevertheless, he grabbed the shirt out of Marrow’s hand, and slowly, painfully, helped Qrow into it, doing his best not to hurt his wounds too badly. They had mostly scabbed over. His aura was making quick work of them, but Clover knew that the few places that were still sluggishly bleeding were going to make pulling the shirt off a very painful process. He winced at the idea of it, but Marrow was right. In this state, Qrow would attract way too much attention. When Qrow was dressed, Clover shifted him onto his shoulder, making sure he hooked his arm securely around his waist. Qrow didn’t say a word, just leaned on him gratefully. </p><p>“Alright, let’s move out.” With that, the three made their way up the spiral staircase, Clover somewhat dragging Qrow along beside him. The adrenaline of the fight was wearing off, and without it, moving was becoming increasingly difficult for Qrow. He was losing strength fast. They needed to get him to the ship, take a look at his injuries. The more weight Qrow put on Clover, the more there was a litany of frantic ‘you have to protect him, you have to keep him safe, he’s hurt and he needs you, protect him, protect him, protect him’ ran through Clover’s head.</p><p>The trio were fortunate enough to make it all the way to the hangar doors before their luck ran out. Standing there, on high alert, were the three remaining ace ops. Elm was the first to spot them. “Marrow, where have you been? And captain, I thought you were sick.” Clover had completely forgotten about that, but why was she asking about that, and not about the fugitive at his side. Glancing up, Clover realized that from the angle the others were at, down the hall, Marrow was blocking their view of Qrow. They couldn’t see him.</p><p>“Troops, I need you to listen to me. What Ironwood has told us about team RWBY is bullshit. You know as well as I do that those kids don’t pose a threat to us. They’re just trying to help. Ironwood has been getting more and more militant by they day, he’s oppressing the people. We can’t just-”</p><p>“Don’t give me that crap, Clover.” Harriett interrupted him. “The General is doing what needs to be done. He’s making the hard choices, so that we don’t have to. Just like he always has.” Clover glanced at the three of them hoping to see some kind of understanding. He didn’t find any. Instead, Harriett was vibrating with anger. Vine looked on, his face completely devoid of any emotion, but he was tense. Elm was looking at them with wide eyes, “Why are you betraying us?” Hurt laced her voice, out of all of them, she had always been the most passionate. Her disappointment settled over him like a stifling heat in a desert. </p><p>Marrow glanced at him, as if asking for permission. Clover tensed, but nodded anyway. That was all Marrow needed, and he quickly stepped aside revealing the battered Qrow. Elm gasped, and when Clover next looked their way, he was met by three identical looks of confusion. After an agonizingly long minute, Vine cocked his head to the side and spoke up, “The General told us Huntsman Branwen escaped with the other fugitives. I have heard nothing of his capture.”</p><p>“Ironwood lied. To all of us. When I went to the cells yesterday with Tyrian, I discovered Qrow. I had to put Tyrian in a lockup, and when I came back, there were people in his cell. There was a woman, but her semblance makes her look like other people, I guess, and she… she looked like me.” That earned him more confused looks. “She wasn’t alone. Ironwood was there. He was taunting Qrow. They tortured him. Please, if I ever meant anything at all to you, you’ll let us go. We don’t have to fight.” Clover thought he was breaking through to them, Elm looked like she was in physical pain. That had to be a good sign, right?</p><p>Whatever hope he had built up in that single moment escaped him when Harriet pulled out her weapon, Fast Knuckles. “How could you desert us for Qrow Branwen? He betrayed you! He betrayed all of us, and now you would turn your back on your team? For him? He’s not worth the dirt beneath our feet.” </p><p>“Hare, please. I love him.”</p><p>Rolling her eyes, Harriet bent down into her fighting position. Marrow pulled out Fetch, but Clover was at a disadvantage. He couldn’t use Kingfisher with Qrow all but unconscious and dead weight on his shoulder. Clover would have to set him down before he could defend either of them. But putting Qrow down would make him vulnerable, and Clover had no doubt that Harriet would go after Qrow the second she could to ensure their cooperation. </p><p>Before Clover could formulate any sort of plan, however, there was a loud groan. Clover’s eyes shot over to where the rest of his team was standing. Harriet was out cold in Vine’s vines, with Elm standing above her, Timber hovering just above Harriet’s head. “We trust you, Clover.” Said Vine as he gently lowered Harriet to the ground. </p><p>“Of course, we do. We will not stand by and let the general torture a man we consider an alley. If that means betraying Ironwood, then so be it.” Elm offered a smile and a thumbs up. Clover could only stare. The two of them had just given up everything. For Clover. Besides his dad, Clover had never had a real family. He had always assumed the Ace Ops were more colleagues than anything else, despite his secretly caring more for them. But it seemed that they had felt the same way for him, as almost all of them were willing to sacrifice everything they’d ever worked toward just because he had asked them too. The fact that Harriet hadn’t joined them was disappointing. But she had always been the most insistent that they were strictly work. The military meant everything to her. </p><p>Still, glancing around at those who stood by him, he couldn’t stop the love he felt swelling up in his chest. “Thank you.” If his voice came out gruffer than usual, no one mentioned it. </p><p>“We should get moving. Before Harriet wakes up.” Marrow strolled forward, leaving Clover to half drag, half carry Qrow behind him. Entering the hangar, Clover was quick to point out their get away plane. But he stopped short when he noticed a figure standing in front of it. There, in all her rigid glory, stood Winter Schnee. Clover almost wanted to cry in frustration. They were so close! He looked around, trying to find a safe place to set Qrow down, when his eyes landed on something shiny. Looking closer, he caught the unmistakable hilt of Harbinger. That’s when it all clicked into place. </p><p>“You sent me down to the dungeons yesterday. How long did you know he was down there?”</p><p>“Not long. A little under a week. I was attempting to devise a plan for you to just happen to stumble across him. Fortunately, you ended up bringing in an excuse yourself.” Clover had been so annoyed yesterday, having to take Tyrian down to the dungeons for processing himself. But, as it turns out, it was some of the best luck of his life. And even more astonishing, he owed all of this to Winter Schnee. The world really was full of surprises. Suddenly there was a lump forming in Clover’s throat.</p><p>“I will never be able to repay you for what you’ve done. Betraying Ironwood must have been the hardest thing you’ve ever had to do.”</p><p>“I know a thing or two about cruel men. And while this was an act of unbelievable cruelty, I don’t believe the general is, himself, a cruel person. I’ve deactivated the security cameras in this sector. There will be no proof that I was here, or that I had anything to do with your escape.” Winter was attempting to be cold, he could tell, but he had seen today that she did indeed have a heart. No amount of frigidness was going to change the respect he felt for her. Even more so, perhaps, because she was choosing to stay and do the hardest job there was left. Helping a man who had found himself on a dark path. She believed there was still good inside the general. Clover didn’t know if that made her hopeful or naïve. Either way, it made her brave. </p><p>He moved to the plane, helping Qrow inside before gently setting him down on the seat. When he turned back around, Winter was staring at him with an intensity that could melt ice. “Captain, when you see Weiss… tell her…tell her I’m sorry. That I was trying to protect her, trying to keep her from making the situation worse. Tell her that I didn’t mean to choose my station over my sister.” She paused for a moment, before sighing heavily. “Tell her I love her, but I still cannot condone her actions. Team RWBY was last seen in a village seventy miles west of Shade Academy. It’s likely, with the desert, that they are still there. This information has not yet found itself across the General’s desk.”</p><p>With that, she turned on her heel and strolled out of the hanger, without so much as a backward glance. Vine and Marrow filed into the plane while Elm made her way over to Harbinger, picking it up and depositing it in the seat across from Qrow. The last time Clover had seen it, it was protruding from Qrow’s abdomen. Shuddering at the unwelcome image, Clover turned toward the pilot seat, but stopped short when he saw Elm already occupying the chair. “Don’t worry about this. He needs you.” Clover’s heart swelled, but he still found himself plagued by guilt of having dragged them all into this mess with him. </p><p>“You know you don’t have to come with me. I appreciate all that you’ve done for me today, but this is a lot to ask of you. You can still turn back, it’s not too late.”</p><p>“Yeah, no offense, Cap. But it kind of is. Besides, we wouldn’t be here if we didn’t want to be.” Marrow’s tail was giving lazy wags as the kid reclined in the seat next to Harbinger. Looking around the cabin, Clover was met with the determined faces of his teammates. Of his family. “Alright, well, who am I to argue with that. Elm, take us away.”</p><p>“Yes, sir.”</p><p>Clover moved over to take a look at Qrow. Pulling his bag out, he grabbed a pair of scissors. Then, carefully, he began to cut away the shirt Marrow had given Qrow. For the most part, the shirt pulled away easily, but as previously predicted, it stuck in several places. With a heavy heart, Clover pulled the shirt away from the fresher wounds as gently as he could, guilt eating at him every time Qrow gave a grunt of pain. “Hey, watch it. I’m trying to sleep.” Qrow grumbled, groggily. </p><p>“Well, sorry to burst your bubble, sunshine, but I’ve got to take care of these wounds.” At his words, Qrow startled, eyes shooting open. He pushed himself up on his elbows, ignoring the screaming pain from his back as he did it. “It wasn’t a dream.” Qrow’s voice came out shaky and hoarse. </p><p>“Nope, I’m as real as they come. Besides, you told me you weren’t going anywhere. Well, the same goes for me. I won’t ever leave your side again.” Carefully, Clover helped Qrow into a sitting position. Pulling out a few alcohol pads and very cautiously disinfecting the wounds before turning Qrow back around to face him. Clover got busy prepping the bandages. </p><p>“The first time your copy came in, I thought there was no way you could hurt me. I really thought you wouldn’t do it. And that made it so much worse when you did. I pleaded with you for weeks, trying to get you to tell me why you were doing it. But you never spoke a word. James told me that he had ordered you to stick close to me right at the start, and that you had secretly hated every moment you spent with me. The longer I stayed there, the easier it was to believe. It wasn’t you; I know that now, but… I thought you hated me. I thought you didn’t want me.” Clover had known it would be bad, but he hadn’t realized just how painful it would be to hear Qrow talk about his experience so matter-of-factly.</p><p>Clover paused what he was doing and moved to sit down next to Qrow, putting his arms around him. He knew his entire team was listening to them, but he didn’t care. All that matters was that Qrow was hurting, and he could help. “Listen to me, sweetheart. I want you. Only you. For however long you’ll have me. You’re the best man I’ve ever known. The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” It seemed, without even noticing, Clover had been leaning in, his voice dropping to a whisper before trailing off. He was just inches away from Qrow’s face now, and the other man’s eyes were beautiful. A red fierce and strong. Clover thought they just might be his favorite color. </p><p>Then those eyes were moving down, darting to Clovers lips, lingering there for a moment, then back up to his eyes. And just like Clover’s lips were on Qrow’s. The older huntsman tensed for the briefest of seconds before melting into the kiss. Clover’s eyes fluttered shut, and he moaned into the kiss, nipping lightly at Qrow’s bottom lip, asking for entrance. Qrow granted it to him, and Clover didn’t hesitate, exploring the other man’s mouth with his tongue. At some point, Qrow had slide his hands up Clover’s leg, across is abdomen and chest, and into his hair. Clover moaned again when Qrow gave a slight tug, his fingernails sliding against Clover’s scalp. </p><p>“Oh, gods, my eyes. I’ll never be able to unsee this. Someone make them stop.” Marrow made a gagging motion with his hand, his face screwed up in mock sickness, but his wagging tail gave him away. Nevertheless, the two pulled apart, both disheveled and panting slightly. When Qrow responded, his voice was hoarse, “Hey, just because you can’t find anyone willing to kiss you doesn’t mean that we can’t.” </p><p>At that, Marrow’s tail stilled, a pout forming on his face. “I just helped save your life. You could try being a little grateful.” The mood thoroughly killed as the two began bickering, Clover slid back off the bench with a sigh and resumed his task, picking up the bandages and beginning to wrap them around Qrow’s back. </p><p>“Thank you.” At that, Marrow gave Qrow a look that just screamed mistrust. “No, I mean it. Without you I likely would have died in that cell.”</p><p>“Eh, don’t mention it.” Marrow said with a smirk, leaning back in his seat, clearly pleased. “Saving damsels in distress is part of the job.” At that, Qrow let out a very birdlike indignant squawk. </p><p>“Hey, back off, Marrow. Qrow’s my damsel in distress. And I’m not one to share.” He gave the man a wink, finishing off the bandages and packing up his supply, returning the bag to where he had found it. Clover sat down on the bench before carefully pulling Qrow to his chest so that the older huntsman was laying against him. Clover cradled his body as if he was the most precious thing in the world. “You know,” he mumbled just low enough for Qrow to hear, “I never thought I’d leave Atlas. It’s where I grew up, and I thought leaving it behind would be too painful to bear. But everything’s been different since I fell in love with you. Sure, I’m leaving Atlas behind, likely forever, but somehow, I’m taking home with me.” Qrow offered him a smile at that before reaching up and giving him a quick peck on the lips. </p><p>“I’ve never had a home. I was cursed, no one wanted me. But you refuse to believe that I’m a burden because of my semblance. You see me in a way that no one ever has before, and I will never be able to express how much that means to me. The constant love and acceptance that you give so freely. There’s no pretending with you, I don’t have to put up a front, and, for whatever inexplicable reason, you like me anyway. You make me hopeful about tomorrow in a way that I’ve never been. I love you, lucky charm” </p><p>They both knew that they were in for a long uphill battle. The horrors Qrow had experienced weren’t going to leave him easily, not to mention there was still a war to be fought. But here, in this moment, they both knew they would be okay. Not today, or tomorrow, or anytime in the near future. But, eventually, they were going to be just fine. </p><p>“I love you too.” Clover pulled Qrow tighter against him, finally feeling like he could breathe properly. “Meeting you was the best luck of my life.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Well, there you have it. I hope that was a good ending. I've always been better at the angst-ier bits. I'm thinking of doing a sequel just as a check up with their new lives and probably reuniting with team RWBY. But I have a genetics test this Friday and can't even think about it till after that. <br/>Love you to pieces and thanks for sticking it out till the end!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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